Second best
DEFENDING champions Egypt lost 2- 0 to Nigeria in the final of the African Under-20 football championship.
There was however consolation: the top four finishers in the championship -- Nigeria, Egypt, Benin and Morocco -- will play in the Youth World Cup to be held in June in Holland. Abeer Anwar reports.
In Cotonou, where the final was played, Nigeria attacked from the get- go while the young pharaohs, though title holders, resorted to defence. The early injury of goalkeeper Mohamed Suleiman did not help Egyptian matters.
Egypt posed hardly a threat to the Nigerian net all through the first half while the second half was more of the same.
Nigeria had a number of stars, the most glittering being Flying Eagles captain Isaac Promise who scored his country's two goals. Promise scored the first at the end of the first half and confirmed his country's dominance 10 minutes into the second half.
Nigeria coach Samson Siasia, an ex- international, was not surprised. "I am very impressed with the performance of my players today. I expected the victory."
Egypt coach Mohamed Radwan had his reasons for the failure, "The players exerted their maximum effort. We passed through very hard times in the competition because of injuries and a poor playing field. But I'm satisfied with the team's performance and I am happy that we will be able to represent Egypt in the World Cup after the seniors failed to do it." Radwan was referring to Egypt's desperate situation in the ongoing African qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup. Egypt is five points behind group leaders Ivory Coast with five matches remaining.
Egypt had reached the final after beating hosts Benin 4-1 on penalties after the match had ended 1-1 after extra- time. Nigeria also qualified for the final via a penalty shootout with Morocco which ended 5-3. Regulation time had ended 2-2.
The win was Nigeria's first African youth title in 16 years after it won the event four times in succession between 1983 and 1989.
Nigeria scored 11 goals en route to the title, three more than Egypt.
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